Where does “tseekʼi nástánii” come from?

tseekʼi nástánii (Navajo) comes from Navajo bitseeʼ, from Navajo atseeʼ, from Proto-Athabaskan *-k̯eʼ — tail.

tseekʼi nástánii (Navajo): squirrel, antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus)

Definitions

  1. squirrel, antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus)

Ancestry of “tseekʼi nástánii”, step by step

tseekʼi nástánii traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Navajo bitseeʼ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajobitseeʼ
2Navajoatseeʼtail, tailbone, coccyx; tail feather
3Proto-Athabaskan*-k̯eʼtail

via Navajo bikʼi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Navajobikʼiupon it, on it
Every word from Proto-Athabaskan *-k̯eʼEvery word from Navajo atseeʼEvery word from Navajo bitseeʼ
tseekʼi nástánii — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer